Positives can get lost in an 0-7 start, improvement can be forgotten when it doesn't show in the big tangible expanse of the scoreboard.
What should not be lost with the UTEP football team is that suddenly they've figured out how to play defense.
That group has turned in winning efforts in two straight games and last Saturday against Southern Miss they added three turnovers to the mix as they finally started making some plays.
Through three quarters they gave up one score on a drive longer than 2 yards, and even with matters stacked against them in terms of having to stay on the field because of the struggles of their own offense, giving up 24 points in Conference USA is a number a team can win with.